Double-sole clipper



Nov. 3,1925. y Y 1,559,911

` T. B.I POWELL DOUBLE SOLE CLIPPER Filed June 4, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ff a@ :aww A Hill-I ui. lllllllllm IHNMINEIMHI Nov. 3, 1925. 11,559,911

T. B. POWELL DOUBLE SOLE CLIPPER Filed June 4. 1923 's sheets-she'et 2 lll Nov. 3, 1925.

T. B. POWELL DOUBLE SOLE CLIPPER Fiied June 4, 192:5

3 Sheets-$h9et 3 6km un' Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

y UNITED STATES,

TATE B. POWELL, 0F FRENCH BROAD, TENNESSEE.

DOUBLE-SOLE CLIPPER. f

Application filed June 4, 1923. Serial No. 643,380.

To allwhom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, TA'rn B; POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at French Broad, in the county of Cooke, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double-Sole Clippers; and I` do hereby declarefthe following to be a ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en* able others skilled` in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to knitting v machines used in the manufacture of doublesole hosiery and particularly to means for increasing the productive capacity ofsuch machines at a saving in both labor and ma-v terial. Y n

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clipper attachment fory knitting machines ofthe character mentioned which operates, at `predetermined intervals during the knitting process, to out out and save the yarn ordinarily left by the double sole finger of the machine. As vis well known to those familiar with knitting machines, of thistype, the double sole linger' leaves a half round of surplus yarn whichy has to be out out of the hose and ordinarily goes as waste. The present inventionV eliminates both Athe waste and the labor of cutting this surplus yarn by clipping it automatically. during the operation of the machine. n t v With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists broadly in a clipper mechanism arranged to `be operated by a series of levers and cams so as to be automatically thrown into and out of operative position, the various elements beingso assembled as to permit their' application toy Figure 1 is an 'enlarged elevation of the vclipper and the associated portions ofthe machine, the latter being shown` in section;V

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the clipper.

6-6 of Figure 5.

tions of the clipper.

Figure 8 shows members 29 and 80.

Throughout the following specilication, reference is to be had to the drawing in Figure 6 is a horizontal section on the line .PATENT OFFICE@ perspective Aview .of the which similar reference characters indicate 'A corresponding parts in all of thev ligures.

A double sole knitting machinevof coni ventional type is kindicated at l, to theY bed plate 2 ofwhich is attached, by screws4 or other fasteners '3, a. flanged verticalguide- Y 'thimble 4c of the invention, Extending thru the thimble, andheld in position with respect thereto by an adjustable collar 5, is a pushrod 6 to the exposed lower end of vwhich is pivoted the foot piece 7. A spring,

8 having one end suitably anchored to theg flange of the thimble and its other end fastened to the adjustable collar 9 of the pushrod, normally holds the pushrod down. The rod .is raised at intervals against/the ten- 11 of the knitting machine and abutting the sion of the spring by means of a cam` 10 fastened on the collar of the main gearwheel foot piece of the rod'intermittently as `the wheel revolves. The pushrod is thus caused to move up and down.,v

The invention further embodies a horizontal bracket 12 having one end suitably fastened to the latch ring 13 of the machinel and its other end presenting an upwardly jdisposed arm 14 on which is supported the clipper mechanism hereinafter described."-

Carriedby the bracket 12 is an vupstandin' arm or support 15 to the upper end oiwhic4 is pivoted the rocker arni16. Each end of the rocker arm has secured thereto an abutment block or shoe, yas shown at 17 and 18, respectively; the former being disposedfor abutment with the upper end of pushrod' by which the arm is rocked on its pivot c' and the latter being engageable with theclipper mechanism for tripping or operating 'i the same. l y

The clipper mechanism consists of a main y 60 Figure 7 is a view of the detached porv support member having a relatively wide upper portion 19 and a lower narrow portion or shank 20. Centered longitudinally of the wide portion is an integral outstanding guide 2l having a slot 22 opening outwardly thru one side thereof as shown. Elongated slots 23 are also provided in the member on each side of the guide to accommodate the bolts or other fasteners which secure it to the bracket arm 14. The lower corner of the guide is beveled on the outside of the slot to expose the laterally proj ecting pin 24 of the clamp-and-cutter carrier 25 which extends both above. and below the guide, being slidably engaged in the slot thereof. This carrier is normally held in a raised position by a spring 26, one end of which is attached to the pin 24 while the other end is secured to a bolt 27 passing thru the guide and serving to retain the carrier within the slot. The lower end of the carrier is notched at 28 to accommodate the hooks at the upper ends of the clip elements proper. These elements consist, respectively, of a cutter 29 and a clamp 30, and work in a slot in a guide member 3l arranged on the shank 2O of the support which member is held in position by a plate or keeper 32 fastened to the shank in the manner shown. The lower end of the cutter 29 is formed with a laterally directed foot 29, having its upper edge -sharpened for severing the thread, while the corresponding end of the clamp 30 is formed with a laterally directed foot 30', having its upper edge blunt for cooperation with the lower end of the guide 33, for gripping and holding the thread while said thread 'is drawn taut over the cutting edge of the foot 29. When the carrier 25 is forced down, it moves the cutter and clamp down to a sufficient distance to produce a space between the feet 29 and 30 and the lower end of the guide 31. After the double `sole thread has made a complete revolution around the ring of needles -of the machine, this thread is released and drawn across the ring and into the space between the feet and clamp. As soon as the thread is thus disposed in said space the carrier is released and permitted to rise, under the influence of the spring 26, with the result that the clamp foot 80 draws the thread upwardly against the guide 31, while the foot 29 severs the thread, the movement of the thread being a shearing one with respect to the cutting edge of the knife foot 29. On the side of the shank 2O there is secured a plate 32 which serves to guide the thread toward the clamp and cutter. vWhen cam 10 has passed foot piece 7, the pushrod descends by its own weight and the carrier 25 is moved upwardly by the contraction of spring 26, carrying with it the clamp and cutter. The clamp 30 moves upwardly pulling the ythread into .the slot of guide 3l and holding it, while the cutter 29 opera-ting on the other sideof the slot cuts the thread. The operation is so timed that just as the double sole finger of the machine raises the yarn, the cut-ter and clamp cut and hold it until the linger dro-ps back 1n action.

' In order that the clipper mechanism may be thrown into and out of operation at the proper time, a series of cams 34 of varying dimensions are afiiXed to the knitting machine drum and a bracket 35 is attached to the knitting machine frame so as to overlie the drum. Arranged above the bracket is 'a bell crank lever 36 fulcrumed on a pivot fastened to the frame of the machine and having one end connected to a link 37 its other end being secured to a pushrod 38. Pushrod 38 has a slide bearing in bracket 35 and is normallyy held downwardly in the path of cams 34 by a spring 39. Hence, when moved up by the cams it rocks the bell crank lever and causes the link 37 to be shifted horizontally. rlhe other end of link 37 has a 'pivoted extension 40 which, in turn, is secured to the foot piece 7 of the main pushrod. When the link 37 is shifted forward by the raising of pushrod 38 it swings the foot piece out of the path of the gear wheel cam 10 and thus renders the clipperrmechanism inoperative. The length of time the mechanism remains inactive is governed by the dimensions and spacing of the cams 34 which may bearranged asv desired in each particular case. .The attachment is ordinarily arranged to begin operating with the double sole just above the heel and stops on heel .and toe n the same manner as the 'double sole finger of the conventional knittingv opcrates on the double sole.

Since the attachment works automatically during the operation of the machine to Iclip the yarn it is obvious that there is considerable saving eifect-ed .in both labor and material since the separate cutting from the hose of surplus yarn is :entirely eliminated and the wastage of the yarn is avoided.

YWhat I claim is:

l. The combination with the cam drum and double sole thread of 'a knitting machine, of a. guide mounted on the machine, a Aclamp and a cutter slidably: supported on the guide in position to receive the thread, means for reciprocating the clamp and cutter including a tappet rod, means carried by the tappet rod for actuation by the said cam drum, and means for moving thelirst means into and out of position to be actuated by "saidv cam.

2. The combination with the cam drums and double sole thread of a knitting machine, of a guide mounted on the machine, aclamp and a cutter slidably supported on the guide in position to receive the thread, means for reciprocating the clamp and cutter including a tappet rod, means carried by the tappet rod for actuation by one of the cam drums, and means connected with the first means and actuatable by another cam drum for moving said first means into and out of position to be actuated by the iirst drum.

3. The combination with the cam drums and double sole thread of a knitting machine, of a guide mounted on the machine, a clamp and cutter slidably supported on the guide, means for reciprocating the clamp and cutter to grip and cut the thread, said means including a tappet rod, means on the tappet rod for engagement by a cam drum, and means carried by the last-named means and actuatable by another drum for moving said last-named means into position to be acted upon by the cam drum.

4. The combination with the cam drums of a knitting machine, of a guide mounted on the machine and disposed adjacent the double sole thread, a clamp and cutter slid? ably mounted on the guide for. movement away from the guide to receive the thread and cooperate therewith to grip and sever the thread, means for moving the cutter and clamp including a reciprocable tappet rod, the rod having a movable section arranged to be engaged by a cam drum, a reciprocable member arranged to be actuated by another cam drum, and connections between the movable 'section of the tappet rod and the reciprocable member for setting said section in position to be actuated by the firstnamed cam drum.

In testimony whereof, I aiX my signature.

TATE B. POWELL. 

